The Helmet Cam has quickly become one of our most sought after products. After running the story of Chip Proser and his Helmet Cam, we have discovered that there are many people out there who are just dying to know how they can make their own helmet cam. So we've decided to do a How2 covering just that subject.

The equipment you'll need for this How2 is the XCam2 WideEye, the battery pack, a receiver, and some sort of helmet, or hat. That type of helmet or hat is completely up to you, but depending on what you use will determine how you can keep the camera attached.

We're going to start out using the batting helmet, which is a little harder, and from here we'll show you what to do with the camera and battery pack. We're going to discuss a couple of options, but you're free to experiment any way you want to see if you can come up with a better solution. (And if you do come up with something brilliant, we'd love to hear from you and see your design. We could include it in our future How2s.)

Separate the camera from the battery pack. Unscrewing the two screws on the camera with a Philips head screwdriver can do this. Under the camera you will find plenty of cord to hook the camera to the battery pack once you've separated the two.

With the helmet, you can try to physically cut a hole in the helmet to mount the camera in. This will give the camera plenty of stability and protection. Simply cut a hole in the helmet just big enough for the camera to fit in. Then draw the cord over the top of the helmet. You can use superglue to hold the camera in, or you can use electrical tape, which matches the color of the helmet. These will provide the stability to the camera.

In the back of the helmet, cut another hole just big enough for the batter pack. Make sure that you give yourself the ability to take out the battery pack so that you can change the batteries.

If you're wearing a baseball cap, then you're best bet is to place the camera on the lip of the cap itself, and then you can aim the camera. But if you use a baseball cap, make sure you buy the sturdier ones. The cameras may be a little heavy for the lesser-made caps.

You could secure the camera to the lip of the cap with cloth band that goes across the camera, and then attaches to the cap. Make sure you leave room for the transmitter to move if it needs to. You will want to secure the camera very well if you're going to be doing a lot of moving around so that you can get the steadiest pictures. Sewing a piece of cloth over the camera and onto the cap would probably be the best way to secure it. But if you happen to be a real "Mr. Fix-it" ala Tim Allen of Tool Time, then "Duct Tape" will do just fine.

Now you need to find a place for the battery pack. Depending on what you're doing with the helmet cam, it will make a big difference on where the battery pack should go. For instance, if you're using it for a ball game, you want to put it where you will be most unhindered. But if you're using it to watch the scenery while you ride your bicycle or motorbike, then there are other options.

So let's say you're using the Helmet Cam for your ball game. You need to put the battery pack where it will be out of the way so you can focus only on your game. One option is to put the battery pack either on top of the hat, or on the back of the hat. Another option is the ol' fanny-pack approach. Place the battery pack in a fanny-pack, and then run the wires up behind the shirt around and over the hat to the camera.

If this is for a baseball game we recommend that you place the Video Receiver close to the fence or in the dugout to maximize the range of the transmitter. You can even set up a TV in the dugout and let the players on the team watch the pitches from the batters point of view. And because most games are played outdoors in the open, you will usually get 150-200' reception. What this means is that you'll be able to capture most of the infield action. Now if the person with the helmet cam runs into the outfield, the reception may get lost due to being out of range.

Now if you're hooking yourself up for a bicycle ride, or a motocross stunt you're trying to get on tape, you can hook the battery pack to the bicycle itself. Whatever you do though, make sure that you set it up so you can change the batteries when they go dead.

From there you will need a Video Receiver to receive the signal from the camera. Decide how you want to watch and record the live video action transmitted from the Helmet Cam! You could use your laptop (which requires a USB Video Converter) or a TV or VCR!

Or, you may want to go directly to video. To do this, just bring along a portable VCR, or a portable recorder, and hook up your XCam2.

That's it for today's How2. If you have anything you would like to see done, let us know, and we'll use your ideas for our next How2.

Featured Articles - Listing of Recent Postings
August 30 - Cameras Catch the Car Vandals
July 23 - Remote-control Units Help Country's Biggest Student Film Festival
July 2 - The X10 Mechanic
April 19 - FloodCams Catch the Vandals

Customer Stories - Index